1
as in terrible
extremely unsatisfactory
this report is simply wretched—you'll have to rewrite it
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2
as in pitiful
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
a wretched lie
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3
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
lived alone in a wretched room in a run-down hotel
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4
as in poor
falling short of a standard
a wretched attempt at writing an original song
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5
as in unhappy
feeling unhappiness
she was wretched for weeks after breaking up with her boyfriend
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6
as in vile
not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency
his wretched treatment of women earned him a bad reputation
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7
as in cheap
of low quality
wretched goods that aren't even worth half of what the store is charging for them
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8
as in pathetic
deserving of one's pity
those wretched souls who cannot even afford a decent roof over their heads
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9
as in miserable
deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy)
the pampered socialite complained that the only room available was in a wretched little motel by the highway
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wretched
This amounted, perhaps, in my mother’s view of life, to a wretched demonstration of love.
—
Andrea Bajani,
New Yorker,
7 June 2026
Tensions escalated at the facility over Memorial Day weekend as hundreds of detainees went on a hunger strike to protest spoiled food and wretched conditions, some of their lawyers said.
—
Chris Boyette,
CNN Money,
1 June 2026
Of course, the downside to aggressively selling is the season could go from bad to historically wretched.
—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
Yes, it’s mostly wretched, but once in a great while there will be a song that’s actually not autotuned.
—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for wretched
Andrea Bajani,
New Yorker,
7 June 2026
Tensions escalated at the facility over Memorial Day weekend as hundreds of detainees went on a hunger strike to protest spoiled food and wretched conditions, some of their lawyers said.
—
Chris Boyette,
CNN Money,
1 June 2026
Of course, the downside to aggressively selling is the season could go from bad to historically wretched.
—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
Yes, it’s mostly wretched, but once in a great while there will be a song that’s actually not autotuned.
—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for wretched
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wretched
Adjective
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Thank you to everyone who read or contributed to this column over the years, who reached out to me with story ideas or tips, or complimented my terrible artwork.
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Visitors will see his Rough Riders uniform; the 1884 diary grieving his terrible loss; and the eyeglasses case, speech and shirt from the 1912 assassination attempt against him.
Adjective
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Completing the hat trick in pitiful style, Taking on the World was shot on a shoestring budget, helmed by the man behind Highlander III, and forced to rely on stock footage of real-life footballers.
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Given the national team’s pitiful demise at the Oval, with New Zealand completing victory on the fifth morning, Ben Stokes’ revival in absentia feels like the only consolation from a miserable week.
Adjective
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Houssem Aouar finally spied a gap in the Austrian defence and sent Mahrez through to score, sparking jubilation before Sasa Kalajdzic’s header confirmed a ridiculous ending to a game that was dramatic, bleak and then dramatic again.
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Kehoe pointed to the state’s bleak finances in a statement explaining his cuts on Tuesday.
Adjective
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Because of that, these hands suffer from high production costs, poor durability against impacts, short operational lifespans, and there are no existing solutions that engineers can readily draw upon, Wang added.
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The extreme heat can also affect people who are physically ill, especially those with heart disease or high blood pressure, or who take certain medications, such as for depression, insomnia, or poor circulation.
Adjective
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The decade was an unhappy panorama of inflation, gas shortages, military humiliation, and revelations of political corruption.
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On Tuesday, Paul urged Americans who are unhappy with the justices’ ruling to support his proposal.
Adjective
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Powerful, rich people filled the lawn to watch a violent sport that ended with a vile and racist comment.
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That person is referring to heavyweight Josh Hokit, who is facing widespread backlash for making a vile joke about former first lady Michelle Obama after winning his match over Derrick Lewis.
Adjective
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Microchips are relatively cheap and are required for every pet in Los Angeles County over 4 months old.
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Prove Your Claims With Evidence In a market flooded with AI capabilities, claims are cheap, and every launch sounds the same.
Adjective
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Instagram Plus is social media’s newest low—a company preying on our most pathetic impulses, for the price of a small iced coffee.
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After these first three majors — and after a pathetic showing this week at Shinnecock — there's no reason to bet against it.
Cite this Entry
“Wretched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wretched. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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